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UPLB Researchers receive six NAST awards

The University of the Philippines Los Banos received six prestigous awards during the 36th Annual Scientific Meeting of the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) last July 9-10, 2014 held at the Summit Hall, Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) , Pasay City.

Dr. Rommel C. Sulabo was awarded as one of the Outstanding Young Scientists in recognition of his significant contributions in the field of Animal Science, particularly in the nutrition of domesticated monogastric animals (namely swine and poultry), contributing to the improvement of the quality and quantity of production of these food animals. He is also an effective trainer, research speaker and consultant, as well as a member of the technical advisory group on Animal Feed Safety and Control at the Department of Agriculture.

The NAST Environmental Science Award (NESA) was also awarded to one of our own—Dr. Damasa Magcale-Macandog, professor and UP Scientist II from the Institute of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences. She was recognized for her exemplary research program that addressed the environmental issues and problems of the Laguna Lake ecosystem, particularly its degraded watershed, which requires immediate and informed response to protect and conserve its biodiversity and to ensure the delivery of sustained ecosystem services in the future. Her multidimensional and multidisciplinary research program generated sustainable watershed rehabilitation strategies and other measures useful to national policymakers and concerned local government units for the improvement of Laguna Lake watershed, environment quality, food security, and human health in the affected areas. These were made by analysing the pattern and degree of the severity of environmental degradation, its drivers and impacts on food security and human health.

A book entitled, “DNA Barcoding Livestock and Poultry Breeds and Strains: Going Beyond Taxonomic Classifications” (published by Philippine Agriculture and Fisheries Biotechnology Program-Department of Agriculture and UP Los Baños) by Dr. Orville L. Bondoc was awarded as the Outstanding Book.

For the Outstanding Scientific Papers: Dr. Edwin P. Alcantara for his paper entitled “Tier I testing of Cry1Ab protein on Micraspis discolour (Fab.) (Coleoptera: Coccinecellidae) and evaluation of its functional response to different prey types;” Dr. Michelle Grace V. Paraso and Dr. Severino S. Capitan for their paper “Vitellogenin induction and gonad abnormalities in male common carp (Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus) introduced to Laguna De Bay, Philippines”; and Dr. Maria Ana T. Quimbo, Dr. Linda M. Peñalba, and Dr. Merlyne M. Paunlagui for their paper entitled “Spill-over effects of rural industrialization on community transformation” received the awards.